Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35848380›Full record

ReviewAnaesthesia2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences for chronic pain: a narrative review.

H Shanthanna, A M Nelson, N Kissoon, S Narouze

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Anaesthesia, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
52citing papers in PubMed
9.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

52 citing papers in PubMed, 82 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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  4. Observational
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  18. Trends in chronic neck and low back pain prevalence in Spain (2006-2020): differences by sex, age, and social class.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025
    Observational
  19. Observational
  20. A crossZhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

H ShanthannaDepartment of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
A M NelsonDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
N KissoonDepartment of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
S NarouzeCenter for Pain Medicine, Western Reserve Hospital, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA.
Mayo Clinic in Arizona · USMcMaster University · CAUniversity of California, Irvine · USWestern Reserve Hospital · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed everyday life, but the implications were most impactful for vulnerable populations, including patients with chronic pain. Moreover, persistent pain is increasingly recognised as a key manifestation of long COVID. This narrative review explores the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for chronic pain. Publications were identified related to the COVID-19 pandemic influence on the burden of chronic pain, development of new-onset pain because of long COVID with proposed mechanisms and COVID-19 vaccines and pain interventions. Broadly, mechanisms underlying pain due to SARS-CoV-2 infection could be caused by 'systemic inflammatory-immune mechanisms', 'direct neuropathic mechanisms' or 'secondary mechanisms due to the viral infection or treatment'. Existing chronic pain populations were variably impacted and social determinants of health appeared to influence the degree of effect. SARS-CoV-2 infection increased the absolute numbers of patients with pain and headache. In the acute phase, headache as a presenting symptom predicted a milder course. New-onset chronic pain was reportedly common and likely involves multiple mechanisms; however, its prevalence decreases over time and symptoms appear to fluctuate. Patients requiring intensive support were particularly susceptible to long COVID symptoms. Some evidence suggests steroid exposure (often used for pain interventions) may affect vaccine efficacy, but there is no evidence of clinical repercussions to date. Although existing chronic pain management could help with symptomatic relief, there is a need to advance research focusing on mechanism-based treatments within the domain of multidisciplinary care.

Indexed as

Chronic PainCOVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesHeadacheHumansPandemicsPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSARS-CoV-2COVID-19 Vaccineschronic painCOVID-19long COVIDpain practicepost-acute COVID-19 syndrome

Identifiers

PMID35848380
PMCPMC9350079
OpenAlexW4285728644

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.